All-Star Joke

We are creeping up on two important summer events: the Trade Deadline and the Midsummer Classic – All-Star Game.

Personally, I look forward more to the trade deadline than the All-Star Game. I think the game has become a joke.

The only part of that time I enjoy is the home run derby. I enjoy seeing who is going to be the next one to get screwed out of a great hitting season. Will it be the person who is supposed to be the savior of the team during the playoffs or maybe the World Series?

Here is why the Classic is a joke. The fans have made it a joke. That’s right. The fans of Major League Baseball have made what should be a celebration of the best players in the game into the biggest load of crock.

MLB certainly messed up when they allowed the fans to vote for the players to go to the game. It is now just about popularity. I feel like I am in high school. Who is the most popular? Who is the cutest? Who is this? Who is that? Blah blah blah blah.

I understand wanting to get the fans involved. That is just smart business. Yet there really should be a limit. From what I am hearing right now, the National League team is going to be the Phillies.

So it will be the American League versus the Phillies. It is ridiculous. So not only are the Phillies cheaters, their fans are stuffing ballot boxes. This was the very reason the Commissioner and company stopped the fans from voting in the first place when Cincinnati Reds fans did it in 1957. Their solution was simple: replace some of the players. Perfect solution!

I understand Roy Halladay and Chase Utley. Yet Ryan Howard is also being voted in. Who would you take at first base? Albert Pujols or Howard? Personally, I would take Pujols. I’m sure CFoD reader Kat would too. Hahaha

Here’s another one. This whole thing where every team needs to be represented at the Classic. Why? If all of the players on that team are awful or just mediocre, why should they be at the game? It is supposed to be the best players. How can we see who they are when we have a mixture of the best with the worst?

As much as I love the New York Mets, players like Jose Reyes and David Wright have no business being there. For that matter, neither does Francisco Rodriguez. As far as I’m concerned, Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, and Rod Bajaras are the only players who deserve it. Barajas has been the sole clutch hitter on this team. Halladay deserves it to be there because of his perfect game. What about Ubaldo Jimenez from the Colorado Rockies? Too bad the fans cannot vote for the pitchers. Let’s hope the players get it right.

This is not a celebration of the greatest players in the game. Not at all. It is just an overrated popularity contest.

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The Mid-Summer Classic will not be that until Bud Selig reverse his not so smart stipulation of the winning team gets home-field advantage. The All-Star game is an exhibition game and should be treated as one. It should be fan friendly and fun. There should be no sac bunts in an all-star game, no player warming up 6 or 7 tmies because he is going to get the save. It should be what it use to be. Johnson and Kruck having fun. Larry Walker turing around to hit right-handed. Arod forcing Ripkin to play SS. That is what it should be. Fan have the right to vote. They have voted since the 70’s. They should have the right to say, hey, I wanna see these guys. It is only 8 players. The roster size is like 30. Also, every team should be represented. This is the Major League All-Star Game. Not the Best Major League Teams All-Star Game. There are stars on every team or guys having good years.

I hope that ratings drop for the game so that Selig would stop this. I want to watch the NL beat the AL. Not because I want the NL to have home field advantage. But, because I am a NL guy. Does it really matter if Howard starts at 1st or Pujols? As long as both guys get big hits, I am fine with it. I want it to go back to fun baseball. I wanna see Jimenez throw fast balls to A-rod and saying, here hit it! Like Pedro did in 1999. I wanna see guys go over the wall to rob catches like Hunter on Bonds in 2001 or 2002.

Tanya, it would only make sense.. Home field advantage is so crucial in Major League baseball.. Ball parks differ, heck, the rules of the game even change. DH, no DH. I think it would only make sense that the team with the better record get home-field. It is done in basketball and hockey. Why not baseball.